Volume 15.23 | Jun 16

A Vaccination to Prevent Heart Attacks?
Scientists developed a “genome editing” approach for permanently reducing cholesterol levels in mice with a single injection, potentially reducing heart attack risk by up to 90 percent. The work focused on altering the function of a gene in the liver called PCSK9. [Press release from the Harvard Stem Cell Institute discussing online prepublication in Circulation Research] Press Release|Abstract

Plasticity of Epithelial Stem Cells in Tissue Regeneration
The authors discuss how different populations of naturally lineage-restricted stem cells and committed progenitors can display remarkable plasticity and reversibility and reacquire long-term self-renewing capacities and multilineage differentiation potential during physiological and regenerative conditions. They also discuss the implications of cellular plasticity for regenerative medicine and for cancer. [Science] Abstract

E.U. Medicines Agency Relaxes Data-Sharing Rules
Academics breathed a cautious sigh of relief when the European Medicines Agency announced that it would soften controversial draft rules to open clinical trial data to public scrutiny. In particular, the agency says it will let researchers “download, save and print the trial data for academic and non-commercial research purposes.” [ScienceInsider] Editorial

Japanese Stem Cell Debacle Could Bring Down Center
Shutting down the research center at the heart of an unfolding scientific scandal may be necessary to prevent a recurrence of research misconduct, according to a report released at a press conference. A committee reviewing conduct at the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology found lax oversight and a failure on the part of senior authors of two papers in Nature outlining a surprisingly simple way of reprogramming mature cells into stem cells. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

Kadmon Corporation Announces NIH Agreement to Evaluate Gene Therapy Program
Kadmon Corporation, LLC, announced that it has established a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, an institute of the National Institutes of Health, to develop an Adeno-associated virus vector containing the human aquaporin-1 gene for the treatment of xerostomia resulting from the use of ionizing radiation in the treatment of head and neck cancer. [Kadmon Corporation, LLC] Press Release

Celsion Corporation to Acquire EGEN, Inc.
Celsion Corporation and EGEN, Inc. announced the signing of a definitive asset purchase agreement in which Celsion will acquire substantially all of the assets of EGEN, including its Phase Ib DNA-based immunotherapy product candidate EGEN-001 and its therapeutic platform technologies, TheraPlas™ for delivery of DNA and mRNA, TheraSilence™ for delivery of RNA, and RAST™ for Cell Enabled Expression and Secretion of RNA. [Celsion Corporation] Press Release

Grant Supports Innovative Immunotherapy Research at Baylor
Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Cancer Center and Center for Cell and Gene Therapy researcher Dr. Stephen Gottschalk has received a $250,000 Innovation Award from Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation to support his work to find innovative new treatments for childhood cancer. Gottschalk’s Innovation Award will support his research on cancer treatments using immunotherapy. [Baylor College of Medicine] Press Release